Robert Dallas
Encyclopedia
Sir Robert Dallas , PC, SL
KC (16 October 1756 – 25 December 1824) was an English
judge, of a Scottish family.
Robert Charles Dallas was born at Kingston
, Jamaica
in 1756. Dallas and his brother George
were educated first at James Elphinstone's school in Kensington
, and then in Geneva
, by the pastor Chauvet. He entered Lincoln's Inn
on 4 November 1777. During this period, he honed his facility of oratory at the public debates in Coachmaker's Hall, where he was known for his extensive general knowledge and his politeness.
Called to the bar on 6 November 1782, Dallas soon built a considerable practice, and specialized in parliamentary and privy council
cases. In 1783, he was retained as junior counsel by the British East India Company
to challenge the East India Bill.
Dallas's most notable accomplishment, perhaps, was to come in 1787, when he served as junior counsel for the defence in the Impeachment of Warren Hastings
. Hasting's defence, led by Edward Law
and seconded by Dallas and Thomas Plumer
, formed a particularly able and harmonious legal team, and many of his contemporaries praised Dallas's exertions during the seven-year case. Hastings was exonerated in 1795, and Dallas took silk on 2 March 1795 and was elected a bencher
of Lincoln's Inn on 23 April 1795.
Dallas continued to enjoy an active practice, receiving numerous briefs to assist parliamentary committees in investigating disputed elections. He briefly entered the House of Commons himself from 1802 until 1805 as Member of Parliament
for the rotten borough
of Mitchell
, resigning in February 1805 to accept the office of Chief Justice of Chester. He re-entered Parliament in March, representing Dysart Burghs, but left that seat in 1806. While little active in the Commons, he was considered a useful supporter of Addington
.
From 1806 until 1808, he led the defence of General Thomas Picton
, and while he failed to obtain Picton's acquittal in his first trial, he was able to compel a retrial and secure a special verdict for him. He was retained by the Jamaica
n merchants and planters in 1807 to challenge the Slave Trade Act 1807, but without success.
Dallas did not neglect his judicial duties in Chester, during this period. In that post, he was known for his clemency and humanity during sentencing, and his polite and gracious manner. From his remarks to Addington, it seems he much enjoyed the post, retaining it until 1813, when he resigned it to become Solicitor General
on 6 May 1813, and was knighted on 19 May 1813. Towards the end of the year, he was made a serjeant-at-law
and was made a puisne justice of the Court of Common Pleas
on 18 November 1813, replacing Sir Vicary Gibbs
, promoted to the Exchequer. In 1817, he was a member of the special commission which tried the leaders of the Pentrich Rising.
He was appointed Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
and was sworn of the Privy Council on 19 November 1818. He headed, with Lord Chief Justice Charles Abbott
, the special commission that tried the Cato Street conspirators
in 1820, and presided over the trial of James Ings. In that year, the two also headed the judges attending the consideration of the Pains and Penalties Bill 1820
to advise the House of Lords
on points of law. He retired on grounds of ill health at the end of 1823, and died in London
on 25 December 1824.
Dallas was celebrated as both a barrister
and a judge, for his command of the law, his clarity of statement, and his gracious and pleasing manners in both offices. In private, he enjoyed a "puckish" sense of humor, and his widow published a collection of his "Poetical Trifles" after his death. These include his famous epigram on Edmund Burke
, his opponent in the trial of Hastings:
Dallas was married first, on 11 August 1788, to Charlotte Jardine, by whom he had one son and one daughter; she died on 17 October 1792. On 10 September 1802, he married Giustina Davidson, by whom he had five daughters and who survived him.
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
KC (16 October 1756 – 25 December 1824) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
judge, of a Scottish family.
Robert Charles Dallas was born at Kingston
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
in 1756. Dallas and his brother George
Sir George Dallas, 1st Baronet
Sir George Dallas, 1st Baronet was a British politician and poet. He was created baronet, of Harley Street in the County of Middlesex, on 31 July 1798. He succeeded William Hamilton Nisbet as Member of Parliament for Newport, Isle of Wight in 1800, holding the position until 1802...
were educated first at James Elphinstone's school in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, and then in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, by the pastor Chauvet. He entered Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
on 4 November 1777. During this period, he honed his facility of oratory at the public debates in Coachmaker's Hall, where he was known for his extensive general knowledge and his politeness.
Called to the bar on 6 November 1782, Dallas soon built a considerable practice, and specialized in parliamentary and privy council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
cases. In 1783, he was retained as junior counsel by the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
to challenge the East India Bill.
Dallas's most notable accomplishment, perhaps, was to come in 1787, when he served as junior counsel for the defence in the Impeachment of Warren Hastings
Impeachment of Warren Hastings
The Impeachment of Warren Hastings was a failed attempt to impeach the former Governor-General of India Warren Hastings in the Parliament of Great Britain between 1788 and 1795. Hastings was accused of misconduct during his time in Calcutta particularly relating to mismanagement and personal...
. Hasting's defence, led by Edward Law
Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough
Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough PC KC was an English judge. After serving as a Member of Parliament and Attorney General, he became Lord Chief Justice.-Early life:...
and seconded by Dallas and Thomas Plumer
Thomas Plumer
Sir Thomas Plumer MR was a British judge and politician , the first Vice Chancellor of England and later Master of the Rolls....
, formed a particularly able and harmonious legal team, and many of his contemporaries praised Dallas's exertions during the seven-year case. Hastings was exonerated in 1795, and Dallas took silk on 2 March 1795 and was elected a bencher
Bencher
A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can be elected while still a barrister , in recognition of the contribution that the barrister has made to the life of the Inn or to the law...
of Lincoln's Inn on 23 April 1795.
Dallas continued to enjoy an active practice, receiving numerous briefs to assist parliamentary committees in investigating disputed elections. He briefly entered the House of Commons himself from 1802 until 1805 as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the rotten borough
Rotten borough
A "rotten", "decayed" or pocket borough was a parliamentary borough or constituency in the United Kingdom that had a very small electorate and could be used by a patron to gain undue and unrepresentative influence within Parliament....
of Mitchell
Mitchell (UK Parliament constituency)
Mitchell, or St Michael was a rotten borough consisting of the town of Mitchell, Cornwall. From the first Parliament of Edward VI, in 1547, it elected two members to the Unreformed House of Commons.-History:The borough encompassed parts of two parishes, Newlyn East and St Enoder...
, resigning in February 1805 to accept the office of Chief Justice of Chester. He re-entered Parliament in March, representing Dysart Burghs, but left that seat in 1806. While little active in the Commons, he was considered a useful supporter of Addington
Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth
Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, PC was a British statesman, and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1804....
.
From 1806 until 1808, he led the defence of General Thomas Picton
Thomas Picton
Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Picton GCB was a Welsh British Army officer who fought in a number of campaigns for Britain, and rose to the rank of lieutenant general...
, and while he failed to obtain Picton's acquittal in his first trial, he was able to compel a retrial and secure a special verdict for him. He was retained by the Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n merchants and planters in 1807 to challenge the Slave Trade Act 1807, but without success.
Dallas did not neglect his judicial duties in Chester, during this period. In that post, he was known for his clemency and humanity during sentencing, and his polite and gracious manner. From his remarks to Addington, it seems he much enjoyed the post, retaining it until 1813, when he resigned it to become Solicitor General
Solicitor General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for England and Wales, often known as the Solicitor General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Attorney General, whose duty is to advise the Crown and Cabinet on the law...
on 6 May 1813, and was knighted on 19 May 1813. Towards the end of the year, he was made a serjeant-at-law
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
and was made a puisne justice of the Court of Common Pleas
Court of Common Pleas (England)
The Court of Common Pleas, or Common Bench, was a common law court in the English legal system that covered "common pleas"; actions between subject and subject, which did not concern the king. Created in the late 12th to early 13th century after splitting from the Exchequer of Pleas, the Common...
on 18 November 1813, replacing Sir Vicary Gibbs
Vicary Gibbs
Sir Vicary Gibbs, KC was an English judge and politician. He was known for his caustic wit, which won for him the sobriquet of "Vinegar Gibbs".-Early life and education :...
, promoted to the Exchequer. In 1817, he was a member of the special commission which tried the leaders of the Pentrich Rising.
He was appointed Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
The Court of Common Pleas, also known as the Common Bench or Common Place, was the second highest common law court in the English legal system until 1880, when it was dissolved. As such, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was one of the highest judicial officials in England, behind only the Lord...
and was sworn of the Privy Council on 19 November 1818. He headed, with Lord Chief Justice Charles Abbott
Charles Abbott, 1st Baron Tenterden
Charles Abbott, 1st Baron Tenterden PC SL , was a British barrister and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench between 1818 and 1832. Born in obscure circumstances to a barber and his wife in Canterbury, Abbott was educated initially at a dame school before moving to The King's...
, the special commission that tried the Cato Street conspirators
Cato Street Conspiracy
The Cato Street Conspiracy was an attempt to murder all the British cabinet ministers and Prime Minister Lord Liverpool in 1820. The name comes from the meeting place near Edgware Road in London. The Cato Street Conspiracy is notable due to dissenting public opinions regarding the punishment of the...
in 1820, and presided over the trial of James Ings. In that year, the two also headed the judges attending the consideration of the Pains and Penalties Bill 1820
Pains and Penalties Bill 1820
The Pains and Penalties Bill 1820 was a bill introduced to the British Parliament in 1820, at the request of King George IV, which aimed to dissolve his marriage to Caroline of Brunswick, and deprive her of the title of Queen of the United Kingdom....
to advise the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
on points of law. He retired on grounds of ill health at the end of 1823, and died in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 25 December 1824.
Dallas was celebrated as both a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and a judge, for his command of the law, his clarity of statement, and his gracious and pleasing manners in both offices. In private, he enjoyed a "puckish" sense of humor, and his widow published a collection of his "Poetical Trifles" after his death. These include his famous epigram on Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke PC was an Irish statesman, author, orator, political theorist and philosopher who, after moving to England, served for many years in the House of Commons of Great Britain as a member of the Whig party....
, his opponent in the trial of Hastings:
Oft have I wonder'd why on Irish ground
No poisonous reptile ever yet was found;
Reveal'd the secret stands of Nature's work,—
She saved her venom to create a Burke.
Dallas was married first, on 11 August 1788, to Charlotte Jardine, by whom he had one son and one daughter; she died on 17 October 1792. On 10 September 1802, he married Giustina Davidson, by whom he had five daughters and who survived him.